Namor

Yep, I got some good measurements. I have about 2mm clearance with my wheels, I measured the inner diameter of my wheels and found them to be about 13 1/8" where they are the closest. Going by that, you are looking at about a minimum of 13" (and at that, you would be able to mount but you would certainly rub)

I have this conversion and the 15" 280zx Swastikas and they barely clear, like maybe a few mm's at most. I don't think 14's will work at all, but I'll get a measurement later today for you (and anyone who happens across this thread).

The problem with searching for some things is that you come across 50 threads where someone else has asked the same question but gets the response to search before asking and that thread has no answer in it. I think a stickied thread which would have links to threads that answer commonly asked questions would be worthwhile. I do also think a How-To section would be good.

I've used probably 80% of the tools in the manner in which they were defined...working on the other 20%

The USS Georgia is indeed a sub, and as far as that is concerned I think you are making the right choice by going to an aircraft carrier. The reasons I cannot wait to get out count so high it is quite ridiculous. First off, 2007 was the worst year of my life. I was in the shipyard up in Portsmouth, VA and would often spend upwards of 120 hours a week at work (simple math will clue you into the fact that there are only 168 hours in a week). During that year I also went underway on a different ship to support my qualifications. Upon return from my 3 month underway, I went straight back to work with no time off because we had **** that had to get done and testing that needed to be completed. Oh and my entire division felt as though I just got back from a 3 month vacation (honestly it was kind of like a vacation from the shipyard). As an electrician, underway time is completely consumed by fixing things that other people on the boat do not know how to operate and therefore break (like the cooks spraying a steam kettle down to clean it and shorting it out, or being told something is broken and spending hours proving that it actually works properly). On top of this, I entered under the assumption that we have blazing fast advancement. Boy was I wrong, sure you start out at E-3 and get automatic E-4 upon the completion of A-School but then you are stuck at E-4 until you can advance off the test (impossible for electricians, not so much for Mechanics or ET's) or until you hit 2 years and STAR re-enlist. I know multiple people on my boat who were not nukes who made E-5 well before I did. When we are not out to sea, we have duty every 3rd day which means you come into work one day and leave after work the next day. For a carrier its every week or so. Almost all of this can be considered not applicable since you are going to go surface but honestly my largest gripe is that in large due to the excellent job opportunities guys in the nuke field have, the people who stay in are really the worst of the bunch. I can handle working for an idiot, but it just makes it so much worse when they KNOW you can't quit and that they are damn near untouchable. If I were to give any advice, it would be to go to look into the NUPOC program. They will pay for school and pay you for 30 months at the end of which you get commissioned and can either be a Nuclear officer on a Carrier/Sub, an instructor at power school or work for Naval Reactors. So you can receive similar training (considered slightly better if you are looking to work in nuclear power post-navy) and a college degree all courtesy of the navy. Also, if you are on the fence about volunteering subs, wait until you get designated (EM/ET/MM) and if you get ET then go for it, life will be easy. If you get EM DO NOT DO IT, life WILL suck. Finally if you get MM, wait until prototype and if you get chosen to be an ELT then go for it. Otherwise stick to the surface and your life should be ok (at least from what I've heard) I have definitely hated my time in, I do however recognize that it has changed me as a person (largely for the better, somewhat for the worse) and has allowed me to live unlike I would have been able to if I were to have gone to college. I also am looking at a very nice job once I get out, but you have to realize that there really is no difference in what is possible at the end of the line, most people just wouldn't be willing to put in the work required if they weren't forced to. I wish you luck in your journey and hope things workout better for you than they did for me, but just realize that they aren't paying you that sign on bonus for nothing, you will work for it and then some. (it's 20k now, right?)

I recently got mine out as well. I ended up completely submerging mine in PB Blaster for 4 days or so and then beating them out with some 1/2" bolts and a hammer (this was after cutting them between the LCA and strut housing with a recip saw) It was a more triumphant feeling than when I first got my car up on my homemade rotisserie.

Not only am I a Navy guy, I am a Nuclear Electrician on the USS Georgia. I have 303 days left in the Navy and cannot wait until I get out. I must ask what are your reasons for 1. going Navy and 2. Going Nuke if there are any questions you want answered let me have at them. p.s. If you do have questions, I hope you come up with them quick because I leave for deployment in under a week...joy

I did a similar thing before, I was spraying mine down with PB Blaster from a can any time I thought of it. It just didn't penetrate deep enough though.

Just wanted to post that I finally removed my spindle pins from the strut housing and to let everyone know that if you haven't submerged and soaked your strut housings in PB Blaster then you are wasting your time. I wasn't aware that they sold it in gallon containers, but once I learned about it my spindle pin removal took probably an hour total time after soaking. So if you are fighting your pins, go get a gallon of pb blaster and 2 paint trays to soak your strut housings for a few days (I soaked mine for 3 or 4). P.S. If you can have a machine shop do it, then by all means let them do it. The number of shops I had turn me away because they couldn't press them out or it would take a lot of time to setup (therefore a lot of money) was over 10. The final shop I went to was a local transmission shop and one of the workers suggested this.

duty cycle would be what percentage of the time it is actually running. So it running all the time answers my question.

What size air compressor do you have and whats the duty cycle like when you are using the blaster?

anyone?

I have an L28 from a 77 that was sitting for quite a while and is now on an engine stand. I was told it was bored .030 over, but I haven't actually pulled it apart and checked to see.

ok so maybe I am talking about the wrong part then, or I don't know how to tell them apart. I am talking about the part to which your tires bolt up to and slides through the strut housing with the companion flange on the opposite side. I just took a look at both of them and they appear to be identical with the exception of one being broken.

Looking for 1 280z stub axle (27 spline), zipcode 31558 Thanks

you aren't comparing anything to factory, you are simply finding the amount of contact area your car has with the ground. Contact Area X PSI = weight

I was hoping I'd come across something like this since I will be need replacements for the stock hangers. McMaster seems to be the answer. I'm probably going with some of these http://www.mcmaster.com/#vibration-damping-clamps/=3u3zrf *edit* you have to click on catalog page 1491 or 1492 to see the ones I'm talking about (haven't decided between the two)

but look at the corner facing the camera, its bent not welded and its probably the same case for all the corners around it (well except for 1)

I will say after tearing my '77 apart and getting the exhaust off, it appeared to be completely rusted. After further inspection it was just surface rust and still had quite a good amount of thickness throughout.

just curious, why do you want to weld the hatch shut? Is it just for cosmetic/aesthetic reasons?

not sure about the 240 gas tank, but I'm fairly certain the gas tank on my '77 would be in the way.

plan on putting this stuff on your tires for traction?

I'm about to do the same bad dog frame rail install and have been wondering what I was going to do about this situation. Problem solved, but did you happen to get it locally? With the large amount of things I've order off the net recently, I've really started to prefer getting things locally, even if it means a few more dollars.

I don't think there is a set way to do anything when it comes to restoring cars. But I would think that as long as he cleans the areas where he welds, he should be ok to do the welding. Just remember, some people don't even get their cars blasted professionally.

You may want to rethink your choice of going with only flux-core. If you are going to be welding sheetmetal you will have a really hard time with flux-core (depending on the sheetmetal gauge obviously) since it gets a lot hot (thus the ability to weld thicker metals with flux-core). Plus your welds will be so much better if you go with gas, at least mine were/are.